Suez canal: Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Osama Rabiee announced that the Suez Canal on Saturday, August 22, 2026, witnessed the transit of the container ship BANGKOK MAERSK on its first voyage through the waterway amongst vessels of the northern convoy on its way from Italy to Singapore.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the 190-thousand-ton Maersk-affiliated vessel is 350 meters in length, has a beam of 56 meters, and can carry 17,200 TEUs on board. It is equipped with a dual-fuel engine capable of running on green methanol to reduce harmful carbon emissions. The vessel currently operates as part of Maersk's AE7 maritime service, which directly connects Asia's major ports with North European and Mediterranean ports.
In this context, Rabiee underscored that the Suez Canal has successfully restored numerous maritime services operating along the Europe-Asia trade route, reflecting the canal's strategic importance as a vital link between East and West. He clarified that navigation reports on the Canal are recording a considerable increase in the daily traffic rates of Maersk-affiliated container ships. The container ship MATHILDE MAERSK led today's traffic through the Canal with a tonnage of 200 thousand tons, followed by the BANGKOK MAERSK, making the number of Maersk-affiliated vessels transiting today two vessels amongst the northern convoy.
Shipmaster Pata Radu emphasized that choosing the Suez Canal over navigating around Africa saves approximately 14 days, positively impacting voyage time and cost savings while maintaining clients' interests. Radu lauded the SCA's efforts in developing the waterway, highlighting the success of the New Suez Canal Project in increasing the Canal's efficiency and the increased margin of navigational safety achieved through the recently-completed southern sector development project. He praised the role played by the SCA's guides, especially their cooperation and efficiency in facilitating vessels' safe transit.
It is worth mentioning that traffic through the Canal today recorded the transit of 57 vessels with a total net tonnage of 2.8 million tons.